


The Meteorite

by Ithurielistic



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Action, Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Dr. Doom is involved, Latveria, Lightly Implied Relationship, Loki isn't as bad as he seems, Magic-Users, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, This might get sad I don't know yet, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 01:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7915114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithurielistic/pseuds/Ithurielistic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SHIELD sends Tony Stark to investigate the point of impact of a meteor in Latveria and the suspicious rumors surrounding it. What he finds isn't a strange magical artifact or deadly radioactive material. </p><p>It's a person. </p><p>It's Loki.</p><p>The ruler of Latveria manipulates events like a puppet master behind the scenes, and Tony is forced to choose between his morals and the safety of the planet as a storm threatens to envelop Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Star.

He viewed the world through a lens of technology. Watching, waiting, drifting through the streets and the mind of the machine, he was patient. The fire searing through his veins was tell-tale of his premonition. Something was coming. Something life-altering, something that would reap the destruction or the saving of this world. An unknown element. An entity of chaos whose being was governed only by the celestial mechanisms invisible to the universe. He shifted in his spiraling, twisting alteration of flight, and through the mask of iron came a slow, creeping smile. It would slip perfectly into his plan.

It was a falling star in the sky, and he watched it spiral from the heavens like a twisting beam of fire. It was quick and deadly, and it burned. Enhanced lenses magnified his vision, and gleeful curiosity beget realization. He stretched his arms outward, machine lengthening and enhancing and completing him, and caught the falling star.

Long legs dangled and singed hair sprawled across its face as eyelids fluttered weakly, and finally slipped closed. The man took in this appearance, and his smiling lips peeled back to reveal teeth. Nothing could stand against him now.


	2. House Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony loses an argument. I mean, is this really a surprise?

Loud music blared forcefully through the workshop, and Pepper wrinkled her nose in distaste as she stepped through the door. “Tony? Tony!” she yelled. The man tinkering at the worktable didn’t even twitch. Pepper frowned, and tried again, this time with the highest volume she could muster. “Tony!”

“Yes, darling?” Tony spun his chair around and gave her a savvy grin. “Jarv, turn the volume down a bit. Just a bit, though. Can’t break my flow.”

“You could hear me the whole time, couldn’t you?” Pepper said wryly.

“What? Of course not!” Tony grinned at her, guiltless.

Pepper rolled her eyes, used to his antics. “Director Fury is on the line. He tried to contact you, but it “wouldn’t go through”. I’m sure this has nothing to do with the firewalls you just put up?”

“Naturally,” Tony said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. He figured he might as well be comfortable while having more heaped on his plate. “You know I love taking Fury’s calls. JARVIS, put him on.” His good mood soured minutely at the thought of the man.

“Of course, sir,” the AI complied, and in a moment the SHIELD director’s voice was crackling from the ceiling.

“Stark,” Fury growled, clearly angered at Tony’s obstinacy.

“What’s it you need, Fury? I’m kind of busy right now, you know,” Tony griped at him, mostly to himself. It seemed like he never had a moment to himself anymore. It was all “we need you” this, and “save the world” that, and he never had time to tinker or build between all the terrorists and super-villains and drama. “You know, I don’t even know why I do things for you half the time.”

“Because you agreed to,” Fury reminded him, “and because the world needs you. You have a duty, Stark, and you sure as hell are gonna fulfill it. Now, your assignment is simple.” The unspoken “you’d better not screw this up” was clear. “A meteor fell recently in Latveria, and in its wake have come rumors of strange activity, and we detected radioactivity that’s got my best scientists baffled. It’s balderdash. We need this cleared up, and fast. There’s something bad brewing in Latveria, and the last thing we need is a countrywide panic if this turns out to be more than meets the eye. That’s why we need you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Tony said, annoyance growing steadily in the back of his mind like a cancer. “Let’s get this straight. You want me to go to this shady country — which, by the way, no one’s ever actually seen its ruler — and look at what’s probably a big crater and a rock. Why do I have to do this again? Can’t you send, like, Captain America? Or Natasha? I mean, the possibilities are endless.”

“To be perfectly honest, Stark,” the director said, “I would send anyone else but you. But, unfortunately, the others are working more important assignments, and you’re quite frankly the only one who has the tech to pull this off. Just get in there, verify the effects of this meteorite or lack thereof, and you’re in the clear. I hear you’ve been wanting to go on vacation anyways.”

“Hah, I don’t think Latveria is really my ideal vacation destination,” Tony sat back, mind whirring. “I’ll consider it.”

“Stark-“

“JARVIS, kindly hang up on the dear director.”

“Stark!-”

Kindly, JARVIS did. Tony could almost picture Fury spluttering on the other end, and snickered a little bit to himself before sobering. He turned back to his desk, already stubbornly set on ignoring the director’s “request”. Just as he had almost lapsed back into his working mindset, it was broken by Pepper’s voice.

“You should do it.”

Tony turned to her in surprise. “Oh, Pepper. I… forgot you were in here. Sorry. But also, what?”

Pepper pinched her lips together. “Tony, don’t you think that you should be more serious about this? People’s lives could be at stake here, and I know you won’t do anything about it unless I make you. So-“

“Come on, Pep!” Tony interrupted lightly, trying to stem the slight hurt welling up in his chest. “You just care too much. You heard Fury, didn’t you? I mean, this is hardly top priority. It’s more of a wild goose chase if anything. The man probably just wants me out of his hair— er, skin? Whatever. You know what I mean.”

Pepper’s expression hadn’t changed a centimeter throughout his monologue, and Tony sighed, knowing the battle was already lost. If Pepper wanted something, she got it. No contest. The woman was stubborn when she put her mind to it, and nothing Tony could do would change her steadfast opinion. He knew this, but opted for one more last-ditch effort. “Look, Pepper-“ he tried, but stopped when she raised a single, condescending eyebrow.

“Look, Tony, I’m finally at peace with you going around and— saving the world, and things. But now you won’t even try?” she said, rendering all Tony’s arguments obsolete (to her, at least. He still knew he was right). “That’s not the Tony Stark I know.”

Tony let out a tired breath, and all annoyance and hurt drained away. He knew Pep just cared too much. Or— maybe he cared too little. It was all semantics. “Fine, I’ll go. Happy?” he conceded flippantly, spinning his chair aimlessly as he said it.

Pepper’s clenched expression relaxed into a contented smile. “Yes. Very happy.” With that said, she spun on her heel and left the room.

Once she was gone, Tony sagged in his seat, weariness ghosting over him. “Well, Jarv,” he murmured, almost to himself, “looks like I’m going on vacation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make this chapter longer, but... well, I'm a mega-amateur, so I have no idea how to break up things right. Well. Hopefully this will be a learning experience. Expect an update in the next few days!

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my first fanfictions, so bear with me through this. Please comment and tell me what you think, because I have no idea what I'm doing!
> 
> Regarding the Timeline:  
> This is an AU set after the events of Thor and The Avengers, but before Age of Ultron (because that's too many characters for me to keep up with, honestly). In this universe, however, the Avengers were originally assembled to fight a slightly different threat, as Loki had not yet reappeared from the void at that time. As such, the team dynamic is basically the same.


End file.
